Roller skate



L. G. KNAPP ROLLER SKATE Jan. l2,- 1937.

il@ tl 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. ll, 1935 L. G. KNAPP ROLLER S KATE Jan. 12, 1937.

Filed Oct. 11, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented .im 12, 1937 oFFiCE .ROLLER SKATE Application October 11, 1935, Serial No. 44,481

9 Claims.

The present invention is related to roller skates of the all-metal type.

Its main and primary object is to provide a skate of this type wherein the parts are so organlized and related as to permit their manufacture from sheet metal by stamping or pressing, thereby enabling the skates to be manufactured at minimum expense.

A further object is to provide a skate of the 10 character referred to the construction of which is such asto admit of ready assembly of its elements and maintenance thereof so that the skate may be durable and be possessed of relatively Vlong life.

A further object is the provision of a skate which has attractive and graceful appearance and is designed in such fashion as to present the streamlined effect to which many commodities are directed at the present time.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully de- .25 scribed, illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

The form of the invention herein shown and described presents a preferred embodiment thereof, and delineates its adaptation to practical use,

but it is to be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered from the illustrative standpoint and not as imposing restriction or limitation on the invention.

' In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a roller skate constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof;

40 Figs. 3 and 4 are front and rear end elevations,

respectively, of the skate;

Figs. 5, 6, '7 and 8 are transverse sectional views, as on the lines 5 5, -B, I-l and 8 8, respectively, Fig. 2, parts being omitted from the views for clarity of understanding.

As before premised, the hereindescribed skate has its parts formed of sheet metal which are stamped or pressed to the desired configuration characteristic of the invention. The skate includes a distinct toe assemblyand a distinct heel assembly joined in adjustable relation so as to be tted to different sizes of feet, and when so joined the design of the skate is such as to present a streamlined effect.

AReferring now in detail to the drawings, and

having reference particularly to the toe assembly of the skate, the numeral It designates the body of the toe member. It is formed of a single sheet of metal bent to the shape illustrated, and said body may be compared to a supporting sill commonly found in many mechanical structures. In stamping the toe member the sides are folded into relatively parallel side walls i I which flare upwardly and outwardly, as more clearly shown in Fig. 6. The forward ends of the side walls II 10 are contracted, or bent towards each other, as at I2, to provide a relatively narrow nose I3, which nose is formed by compressing the for- Ward extremities of the walls I I as clearly shown in Fig. 2. At the under edge of the nose i3 a 15 notch It is formed, the purpose of which will appear at a later point herein.

The bottom wall of the body I0 is bent to provide two oppositely-inclined or diverging surfaces I5 and I6, the latter constituting a seat for the 20 hanger Il of a wheel assembly I 8. The oppositely-inclined or diverging relation of the surfaces I5 and I6 serves to truss or brace the body i0, and thus greatly strengthens the body so as to enable it to resist strains and stresses imposed 25 thereon. The present invention is not concerned with the particular construction of the wheel assembly. 'Ihis may be any of the conventional forms commonly found in roller skates. Preferably the hanger Il is spot-welded to the seat 30 I6, and said hanger also contacts a downwardlyinclined shoulder I9 which is formed at the forward end of the hanger seat I6, and thereby provides for a rigid mounting of the hanger.

The rear end of the body Il] is contracted into 35 a tubular shank 2l), which is square in cross section, as more clearly seen in Fig. '7. This shank is formed by bending the edges of the side walls il inwardly and downwardly into horizontal planes, thereby providing supporting flanges 2l. 40

The forward ends of the side walls i i are flared outwardly and bent to form horizontal flanges 22, as more clearly seen in Fig. 5. These flanges are relatively broad, and gradually merge into the rear ends of the side walls, as more clearly 45 seen in Fig. 6. They provide supporting surfaces for a toe plate 23, of the outline shown in Fig. 2, wherein it will be seen that the body of the plate 23 conforms substantially to the shape of the sole of a shoe, and terminates in a narrow rear- 50 wardly-extending shank 2d that overlies the supporting flanges 2|.

To unite the toe plate 23 upon the body l0 and the flanges of the latter the edges of the plate 23 are crimped into engagement with the edges 55 particularly seen in Fig. 8, thus providing suba strap for fastening the heel of the skate to the of the side walls il, as at 25, as clearly seen in Figs. and 6, and when so joined the toe plate is ixedly held in engagement with the body is. This dispenses with the necessity of rivets, screws, spot-welding and similar fastenings, and thereby greatly reduces the expense or cost of production in the manufacture of the skate.

The heel assembly follows in general the construction of the toe assembly. This is formed also of a single sheet of metal stamped or pressed to the desired shape. It comprises a supporting body 2t the side walls 2l of which are bent into parallel relation and terminate in a forwardlyextending shank 2S which shank, as shown in Fig. 7, is square in cross-section. The upper edges of the side walls 2l, at the shank 2S are bent downwardly and inwardly to form supporting flanges 29. Within the bottom wall of vthe shank 28 a series of openings 3@ is formed by punching the metal inwardly, resulting in inwardly-extending burrs, and these punched-in portions are screw-threaded as at 3l. The purpose of this will be presently explained.

At the rear end of the shank 2i?, the side walls 21 are flared upwardly and outwardly, as more stantially flat supportinganges 32 at their upper edges. Upon the flanges Si. is seated a heel plate 33, and the edges of this plate are crimped,

as at 34, about the edges of the flanges 32.

Thus, the heel plate is united to the flanges 32 and fixedly held thereby. The heel plate 33 terminates in an upwardly-extending curved heel rest 35, and located at the rear of said heel rest is a fin 36 which is slotted, as at 3l, to receive foot of the user. This iin has an inwardly-extending fastening lug 3S which is received by an nopening Se in the heel rest 35, the lug being upset or headed in order to hold the n in engagement with the heel rest.

The bottom wall of the body 2t, like the bottom of the body i@ of the toe assembly, is bent to provide two oppositely-inclined or diverging surfaces @E and di. The oppositely-inclined o1' diverging relation of the surfaces @El and lli, as characterizes the surfaces l5 and i6, also serves to truss or brace the body 2%, and thereby greatly strengthens the body to enable it to: resist strains and stresses imposed thereon, in a manner similar to the body l-. The surface fil constitutes a seat for the hanger il of the wheel assembly I8, such as employed with the toe assembly. Preferably, the hanger in the heel assembly is spot-welded to the seat il and said hanger contacts a downwardly-inclined shoulder d2 whichis formed at the rear end of the hanger seat 4i, thereby to provide a rigid mounting for the hanger.

The rear extremities of the side walls 2 are bent into parallel relation, the side walls being contracted towards each other at these extremities, so as to provide a i'ln 43. These extremities of the side walls 21 embrace the lower end of the fin 36. The fin 43 and the i'ln 3% combine to form a tail piece for the skate, and thereby impart a finish to the rear end of the heel assembly.

The outside diameter of the shank 2S of the rear assembly is less than the inside diame-ter of the shank 2li of the toe assembly so as tofit within the latter and be slidable therein.- This permits longitudinal adjustment oi the toe and heel assemblies with respect to each other so that the skate may be tted to different lengths of shoes. To hold the members in adjusted :position the shank 25 is provided with a fastening screw Ml the threaded inner end of which is designed to engage any one of the series of threaded openings 3e formed in the shank 23. The shank of the screw de passes through an opening 45 which is formed in the lower wall of the shank 2B. This lower Wall, at the opening d5, is faced with a reinforcing clip i6 which is suitably fastened to the shank 2t, and through which the screw @d is passed. The reinforcing clip i6 has the effect of thickening the metal at this point, and thereby strengthening the shank 2b against wear due to the adjustment of the screw ill `relation to the shank 28.

That the toe assembly may be held upon the f shoe of the user a pair of toe clamps @l is employed. These toe clamps follow the usual construction of fastening devices of this character. The bodies of the clamps il are provided with elongated slots fi-3, and each of these clamps is fttedto` a headed guide stud fl which is riveted to one of the supporting anges 22. The stud A9 is received by the slot la of the clamp associated with the stud, and this permits the toe clamps to be adjusted laterally of the toe plate 23. v effect that adjustment a right and left-hand screw-threaded adjusting screw 5@ is employed, one of the threaded ends of said screw being threadably engaged with a depending flange 5i carried by the adjacent toe clamp il?. The screw 5i! is received by the notch it of the body of the toe assembly.

From the foregoing it is apparent that both the toe and heel assemblies constitute substantially integral structures the parts of which are stamped or pressed. In crimping the toe and heel plates to their respective supports the use of screws, rivets and like fastenings is eliminated entirely. The structure is rigid and diie to the fact that fastenings of the nature referred to are eliminated from the assembly of the parts, the skate is adapted to resist rough usage without liability to separation of the elements.

I claim:

l. A roller skate, comprising a toe assembly, a heel assembly, each of said assemblies formed from a blank to constitute a support including relatively parallel side walls the edges of which terminate in supporting anges, each of said supports also having a bottom wall includingv oppositely-inclined portions for bracing the support, toe and heel plates mounted on their respective supports and xedly connected thereto,

nd means for adjustably connecting the assemlies.

2. A roller skate, comprising a toe assembly, a heel assembly, each of said assemblies formed from a blank to constitute a support including relatively parallel side walls the edges of which terminate in supporting flanges, each of said supports also having a bottom wall including oppositely-inclined portions for bracing the support, the side walls of the support of each assembly being bent to form Shanks adapted to telescope one with the other, toe and heel plates mounted on their respective supports and xedly connected thereto, and means for adjustably connecting the telescoped shanks of the assemblies.

3. A roller skate,vcornprising a toe assembly, a heel assembly, each of said assemblies formed from a blank to constitute a support including relatively parallel side walls, the edges of said side walls at one end of each support terminating in outwardly flared supporting ilanges, the edges of said sidewalls at the other end oi yeach Tov support being contracted to form shanks adapted to telescope one with the other, each of said supports also having a bottom wall including oppositely-inclined portions for bracing the support, toe and heel plates mounted on their respective supports and xedly connected thereto, and means for adjustably connecting the telescoped shanks of the assemblies.

4. A roller skate, comprising a toe assembly, a heel assembly, each of said assemblies formed from a blank to constitute a support including relatively parallel side walls, the edges of said side walls at one end of each support terminating in outwardly-flared supporting flanges, the edges of said side walls at the other end of each support being bent inwardly to horizontal position Vto provide supporting flanges and serving with the other portions of the side walls to form shanks, said shanks being adapted to telescope one with the other, toe and heel plates mounted on their respective supports and flxedly connected thereto, and means for adjustably connecting the telescoped shanks of the assemblies.

5. A roller` skate, comprising a toe assembly, a heel assembly, each of said assemblies formed from a blank to constitute a support including relatively parallel side walls the edges of which terminate in supporting flanges, toe and heel plates mounted on said flanges of their respective supports, the contiguous ends of the support of each assembly being contracted and forming shanks adapted to telescope one with the other, and means for adjustably connecting the telescoped shanks of the assemblies.

6. A roller skate, comprising a toe assembly, a heel assembly, each of said assemblies formed from a blank to constitute a support including relatively parallel side walls flared upwardly and ...outwardly and terminating in supporting flanges,

toe and heel plates mounted on their respective supports and connected to said flanges, the contiguous ends of the support of each assembly being contracted to form shanks of polygonal cross-section adapted to telescope one with the other, and means for adjustably connecting the telescoped shanks of the assemblies.

'7. A roller skate, comprising a toe assembly including a support formed from a blank having relatively parallel side walls flared upwardly and outwardly and terminating in supporting anges, said side walls being contracted to form a tubular shank, a toe plate mounted upon said flanges, a heel assembly including a support formed from a blank having relatively parallel side walls flared upwardly and outwardly and terminating in supporting anges, said side walls being contracted to form a tubular shank, a heel plate mounted upon said flanges, said shanks of said assemblies being adapted to telescope one with the other, and means for adjustably connecting the telescoped shanks of the assemblies.

8. A roller skate, comprising a toe assembly, a heel assembly, each of said assemblies formed from a blank to constitute a support including relatively parallel side walls flared upwardly and outwardly and terminating in supporting iianges, toe and heel plates mounted on their respective supports and having their edges crimped into engagement with the edges of said supporting flanges, the contiguous ends of the support of each assembly being contracted to form shanks adapted to telescope one with the other, and means for adjustably connecting the telescoped shanks of the assemblies.

8. A roller skate, comprising a toe assembly, a heel assembly, each of said assemblies formed from a blank to constitute a support including relatively parallel side walls flared upwardly and outwardly and terminating in supporting flanges, each of said supports also having a bottom wall including oppositely-inclined portions for bracing the support, toe and neel plates mounted on their respective supports and having their edges crimped into engagement with the edges of said flanges, the contiguous ends of the support of each assembly being contracted to form shanks adapted to telescope one with the other, and means for adjustably connecting the telescoped shanks of the assemblies.

LELAND G. KNAPP. 

